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and It 1b with pride and pleasure thatwe note the advancement made by theold parties In matters affecting humanrights and human welfare. The pro-gressive party, therefore, eitends toall mankind of whatever political faithin the past, an earnest invitation toJoin ua for the salvation of the stateof Oklahoma and to help ua to secureto ourselves and our posterity theblessings that of right belong to a freepeople In a free land.Cummend Congressmen."We heartily commend the action oftho progrehHive members of the na-tional congress in refusing to entercaii' iis of any existing political partyand in perfecting a minority organization through which they nominatedand voted for officers of the nationullegislative body; in working and voting for the enactment of measuresembodying progressive principles; inIntroducing and working for the adop-tion of meaMurea. which if enactedinto laws, would cover every pledgein tho platform adopted by the Chicagoconvention in 1912; in the organizationof the progressive congressional com-mittee, having for its object the better organization of th« progressivesthroughout the nation, with special ref-erence to the nomination und election (of progressives to become members ofthe nutionul congress."We stand for a national guarantydeposit law under such rules and re- jstrictions as will guarantee the de- 1post I s In all stale and national banks,savings banks and trust companies."Ws favor the extension of the priv-ileges of the parcel pout and emphat-ically condemn the attempt being Jmade to curtail its usefulness and ihamper Its development."We note the purifying Influence jthat the good women of our land havebrought into the political affairs oftho communities wherein they enjoyequal suffrage, and we therefore pledgethe purty to the extension of suffrageto women throughout the state.For High Minded Men.•'Without detailing the many specificinstances of graft, extravagance. Incompetency and corruption whichhave scandalized this state, we pledgethe party to an effort to elevate state,county and city affairs to a higher andcleaner plane by the nomination ofhigh-minded men on a straight out pro-gressive ticket."We favor by initiative legislationsuch changes In our state constitutionas will provide state government bya governor ami a small body of rep-resentatives selected by districts, whoshall be subject to recall in place ofthe present worn-out legislative sys-tem."We stnnd for a national law pro-hibiting the manufacture, transporta-tion and sale of nil Intoxicating liquorin, or the importation of the same intoPROGRESSIVESSTATE CONVENTION HERE SOVOTES, THEN CABLES NEWSTO ROOSEVELT.MEOILL MC CORMICK SPEAKERChlcagoan Outl(ne Radical Policle,;Prohibition Plank Ha« a PlaceIn the AdoptedPlatform.All speculation on the probability•f the progressives fusing or amal-gamating with any political party InOklahoma In the coming campaignwas put at rest last week when the600 delegates to tho state conventionheld In Oklahoma City voted unani-mously their allcgianco and devotionto progressive principles of the na-tional platform enunciated at Chicagoin 1912, declaring their opposition toany form of fusion and favoring theplacing of a complete progressiveticket in tho field for tho general electlon.Aside from the usual work of theconvention in the adoption of its platform and resolution, the address ofMedill McCormick of the Chicago Trib-une, one of the national leaders of thenew party, was the main event of theday. He outlined more radical poli-cies than the party has heretoforestood for.Hale State Chairman.John M. Hale of Oklahoma City,was elected chairman of the state ccntral committee, to succeed Alva McDonald of El Reno. Hale defeatedJohn Goloble of Guthrie, editor of theGuthrie Register. The vote was 428for Hale and 240 for Goloble. The convention indorsed no candidates.John P. Hickman of Stillwater, tem-porary chairman of the convention;O. P. Workman of Oklahoma City;John Goloble of Guthrie, editor of theGuthrie Register; Former State Sen-ator Charles A. Alexander of Wood-ward; State Chairman Alva McDon-ald and L. G. Disney of Muskogee, na-tional organizer for the progressives.were among tho speakers before theconvention.The members of the new state progresslve committee, whose electionwas completed with the official report-ing of their nnines to the state con-vention last week are:State Committee.James A. Jones, Haskell; a. Mnt- the I'nttocl Stales or nny part thereofcrsbaugh. Alfalfa; J. 8. Martin, KIiik or1,1,0 ">' °< possessions.Asher; O. Lilly, I'ayne; Col. R. M. De "We favor as humane and properIlessle, Noble; J. S. McCormack, Kl the laws which arc known as the fulloiva; J. S. 11 ti t chins. Kay; li. M. Chill- crew bill." nml the 'hospital hill' asEMEN IN THE PUBLIC EYE1Hon. Woodson E. Norvell, of Tulsa.Tulsa.—Considerable Interest hasbeen aroused in political circles onaccount of the endorsement by Sen-ator Owen and many civic organiza-tions of the preferential plan for thenomination of party candidates. Inthe first State Legislature this districtwas represented by Hon. C. L. Hollandof Tulsa County, and Woodson E. Nor-vell of the Creek-Tulsa district.The House Journal of the first Ses-sion shows that Mr Norvell was thefirst public man to propose the prefer-ential primary plan, when he ofTeredthe following amendment to the pres-ent law:"Any qualified elector participatingin any. primary election held in thisState shall have the right to indicateupon his ballot cast at such primaryelection in any instance where morethan two persons are candidates forone nomination, the order of his pref-erence or choice of such candidates,i. e, he shall have the right to markhis ballot to show which of bucIi can-didates is his first choice, secondchoice, third choice, and so on to theend of the list of candidates; suchpreference shall be Indicated by mark-ing opposite the names of the severalcandidates the Arabic numeral corres-ponding with the order of the elector'spreference, as 1, 2, 3, etc."Two additional sections to the billproviding for a method of computingthe results were also offered by Mr.Norvell, but the amendments were re-Jtettd by thf legialftture After is ifrimated discussion occupying consider-able time.The proposition of a voluntary sub-mission to Mr. Norvell's plan seemslikely at the coming election; andthere is but little doubt that the nextsession of the Legislature the samewill be enacted into law.Another Initiative Bill. Governor Issues Pardons to ManyConvincing the corporation com-1 The following expiration pardonsmission after a fdur months' try-out'have been granted by Governor Cruce.that it was not receiving sufficient| Frank Bridges, Payne county, grandreturns on the two-cent fare, the larceny, one year; Ed Harris. Wash-Wichita Falls and Northwestern rail-1 lngton, grand larceny, one year androad will be allowed to return to the lone day; John Cruel, Wagoner, bur-three-cent fare, an order from thelglary, two years; Robert Thompson,commission to that effect having Pittsburg, manslaughter, five years; Fbeen issued, effective March 6. j E. Edwards, Creek, robbery, tenThe commission recently made in years; Ollie Wilson, Logan, grand lar-order requiring the railroad to comply ceny, five years; Harry Brown. Craig,with tho two-cent rate. The railroad grand larceny, one year; Henry Raker,asked to be put on a four months' washington, grand larceny, one yeartest. This was done and figures show amj one jay; pat Robinson, Muskogee,lug a loss under that rate were pre robbery, five years; Edward Pullman,sented to the commission. It being cleveland, forgery, four years; Clydefound that the road lost money under j naywood, Grady, burglary, one yearthe rule, the order reinstating the an(, one day. Frank White, Wagoner,three-cent rate was made. The road j aggruvated assault, five years; Frankhas also agreed to begin at once to schultz, LeFlore, burglary, four years;extend tho line north from Forgan to \y, M. Mayhue, Washington, grand lar-Denver, Colo. I ceny, one year and one day; ErnestPlans to initiate an amendment to downing, Washington, grand larceny,tho present ^general "Jl one year and one .lay; William Hernemanthe state, whereby traveling men and ] nemari| Oklahoma, burglary, twoothers who are Rented | year8. c E Tatspaugh, Tulsa, forgery,one year; John Dusenberry, Grady,from their regular voting places on |election days may exercise the rightcott. Logan; Paul S. Mellinger, Woodward; John Q. Adams, Rogers; E. I.demanded by railroad employes."We favor the immediate passage ofLeach, Oklahoma; Wm. Harrison. Le •' workmen's compensation Inw alongFlore; C. L. Thomas, Muskogee; Rob- j Hie line of the one now in force in theert Duchess, Caddo; J. E. Schow, | state of Washington.Hughes; Dr. E. K. Mnrby, Hughes; S j "We favor the repeal of all laws onJ. Storm. Custer; M. I. Thompson, 'he statute books or tho state of Okla-Woods; J. W. Drehmer, Greer; L. A hotna whereby mortgages may heFrantz, Tillman; B. F. Morris, Cleve-1 placed ngainst our homes without our 1Innd; L. A. Keys, Nowata; M. A. I consent In the form of refunding bondsTucker, Comanche; S. A. Brumley, : for illegal indebtedness.Creek; Oswig, Seminole; James ! Urge Irrigation.E. Jones, Canadian; T. J. Lillard, i "We urge that the question of Irrl-Wagoner; Ed. McLaughlin, Atoka; j gatlon In our state and the west In jJ. W. Talla. Stephens; J. C. Davis,Pittsburg; C. F. Dyer, Blaine; E. L.Stanard. Pottawatomie; P. J. Dore,Adair; D. J. Norton, Lincoln; DavidP. Kellar, Pawnee; Albert Ronnie,Garvin; 0. L. Owen, Washington;Judge Winfleld Scott, Garfield.During the convention telegramswere received and read from GovernorHiram Johnson of California, Roose-velt's running mate In 1912; C.eorgeW. Perkins of New York, chairman ofthe national progressive executivecommittee; Miles I'oindexter ofWashington and W. H. Harrison ofgeneral, should be hastened by all rea-sonable means. That the extraordinaryburden resting on Oklahoma by rea-sons of exempting Indian lands fromtaxation should be indemnified by con-gress."The progressive party, in order tosecure to the people a better admin-istration of Justice and by that meansto bring about a more general respectfor the law and the courts, pledges it-self to work unceasingly for the re-form of legal procedure and judicialmethods."We favor a law that will provide aMineral Wells. Texas. Each of the reasonable compensation for convicts;telegrams conveyed congratulations to that one third of such salary be paidthe Oklahoma progressives and urged j to said convict's family if destitute;against fusion or amalgamation. one-third be applied to pay cost ofOn a motion made by McCormick,! conviction and one third be kept asthe secretary of the convention was resources for such convict on his re-instructed to send a cable to Col. l?ase from prison; that in case ofRoosevelt, now in Brazil, Informing , life convicts for murder, such salaryhim of the action of the Oklahoma pro-! as might be settled upon him, be paidgressives. to the destitute family of such mur-Mcormick concluded his address j derer's victim.of franchise, have been perfected, iCopies of the proposed law will befiled with the secretary of state andpu{. in circulation throughout the* statewithin the next week, according toattorneys, who have been retained todraft the proposed bill and supervisethe legal phases of the campaign.Foreign Concerns Can't Evade Tax.Foreign corporations doing businessin Oklahoma will not be able to evndethe state license tax of $1 for every$1,000 actively employed in the stateon the ground that such a tax is dis-criminatory. This was the gist of anopinion rendered by the corporationcommission in the appeal filed by thoPrairie Oil and C.as Co. to escape pay-ment of such a tax.The case has been on the docket ofthe corporation commission since Oc-tober 18, 1910, when the Prairie Co.alleged discrimination in the dollarper thousand tax on the ground thatdomestic corporations were only re-quired to pay a license tax of 50 centsfor every thousand dollars employedin their business in Oklahoma.The commission held that the lawdoes not discriminate for the reasonthat any domestic company may betaxed in other states on the same basisas that on which foreign corporationsare taxed in Oklahoma. The commis■Ion further held that such a levy onforeign corporations is equitable forthe reason that it may be taxed in itslegal domicile on the same basis asthe domestic corporation is taxed inOklahoma.with an appeal for campaign funds, theresult being that $3,700 was pledged.The Progressive Platform.After the usual preamble reaffirm-ing faith and allegiance to the prin-ciples of the party as outlined in thenational platform of the national con-vention the platform adopted by thestate convention in substance follows:The progressive party Is the "na-tional party" and is better qualified todf-al efficiently with the problems ofmodern life and appeal without offenseor embarrassment to every section ofour common country."The progressive party is the onlyparty that stands unreservedly for therule of the whole people, or that hasproposed practical measures for re-serving to the people the power to ex-ercise self government"We favor a non-partisan Judiciary.•'Law enforcement Is the sworn dutyof all public officials and we are not infavor of any public official violatinghis official oath because of his con-scientious scruples or as a matter ofparty expediency, public sentiment, oron account of the financial welfare ofany person."We believe that the ownership ofoil mills in this state by any Individualor corporation should be limited tosuch an extent that the ownershipwould not interfere with fair compe-tition In the purchase of cotton seedand we believe the right of the oilmills or any stockholder therein toown or to have any interest in cottongins should be limited or prohibited."Usury being a detriment to the de-velopment of the resources of the state"The progressive party is the only and a great burden to the poor of theparty that does not attempt to cripple state, we favor a law which will, inbusiness or industrial growth by un addition to the present statutes plaeenatural legislation, but would set busl a fine on the practice of same and onness free to expand at will, reserving a second offense a prison term bethe right of the government to regu provided.late the same in the interest of so "We stnnd for a square deal to allclety. persons, who have toiled to improve"The progressive party Is the only the school lands of the state, includingparty pledged to a practical program j therein their right to royalties on purfor securing social and Industrial Jus chased land and favor the program oftice according to the doctrine that hu the right of the lessee to purchase oilman welfare Is above all other coneiderations."The history of the state and na-tion since August, 1912, has Justifiedthe creation of the progressive party,and gas leases on such lands whenoffered for sale and further favor theprotection of the right of the peopleagainst oil and gas leases unlawfullyexecuted."Big Companies Report ValuesThree big corporations, the Rockisland Railroad Co.. the Gulf Pipe LineCo. and the Gulf Pipe Line Co. of Okla-homa, according to Its return. Is $32.-f-eport of the estimated value of theirproperties in Oklahoma. The reportsare made in pursuance of a statutoryprovision.The total value of all propertyowned by the Rock Island in Okla-homa. acording to Its rrturn, is $32,-995,365. This is about the same valu-ation returned by the r^ad last year.The board of equalization, however,assessed the company on a basis ofa total valuation of $48,000,021.16 in1913.The value of its main line per mileIs given at $1,320.50 and $363 72 permile for side tracks. Station buildingsand properties are valued at $1,244,240.The value of the Gulf Pipe Line Co.of Oklahoma, the domestic corpora-tion, is given at $4,569,613.Katy Makes Return.The Katy railroad has property inthe state valued at $22,109,042, ac-cording to returns made by the com-pany for taxation purposes, receivedby the state auditor. The same property was assessed by the state boardof equalization last year on a valuatlon of $29,249,456. There are 729miles of main track in the state, ac-cording to the report, lust the same aslast year. The main track is valuedat $15,945 300; siding. $1,663,960; buildings. $23,200; rolling stock, $3,837,730;toe's, etc , $128,852.burglary, one year and one day; T. E.Kurley, Muskogee, grand larceny, twoI years; H. 11. Rout, McIntosh, grandlarceny, six months; Bert Martin,i Kingfisher, rape, five years; Will Bry-j ant, Oklahoma, manslaughter, fouryears; Grant LeKoy, Oklahoma, as-sault to kill, one year; Frank Bridges,one day.State Not Liable, Says Dunlop.That the state is not liable for thepayment of the unapproved Red Bookwarrants is the allegation made byState Treasurer Robert Dunlop in hisreply, filed in the district court ofOklahoma county, to the Wilkin-Halebank's application for an alternativewrit of mandamus which would havefor its purpose the compelling of thestate treasurer to pay two warrantstotaling $478.52, held by the bank.Dun lop's reply recites that one ofthe warrants in question was issuedupon a claim of former State PrinterGiles Farris, and purports to be inpayment of his expenses while com-piling the Red Book during the monthof Julyt 1911. According to the reply,the other warrant was Issued upon theclaim of Seth K. Cordon, and purports to be in payment for expensesincurred while compiling the RedBook.Reply avers that the claims werenot approved by the board of publicaffairs and that no appropriation forthe printing of the Red Book was evermade by the legislature.Separation May Be Illegal.A Reparation agreement between ahusband and wift procured by fraudoi duress or voidable upon otherequitable grounds Is subject to cancellation in equity the same as anyother contract. Where the agreementis executed directly between the twoparties it is subject to the rules whichcontrol contracts of persons occupy-ing confidential relations, and Is notbinding upon the wife unless it isjust and equitable. In a suit for di-vorce and division of property, whenthe husband sets up tho written con-tract of settlement as a defenseagainst fnrther division of the proprty, he must show that it was en-tered into fairly and without misrep-resentation and that its provisions areequiable.So held the supreme court commis-sion, in an opinion by Judge Phil TVBrewer, affirming a judgment for di-vorce nnd division of property of thesuperior court of Pottawatomie coun-ty In the case of W. G. Montgomeryagainst Mrs. Dora B. Montgomery.McDaniel Tries Again.Ned McDaniel, secretary of the sen-ate# who has been contesting the rightof Ben Riley to the position of secre-tary of the state election board, hasasked for a peremptory writ of man-damus against Riley for the recordsot the office. A halt was taken in theproceedings several weeks ago, on thesolicitation of McDaniels. so that somei other course could be taken and themandamus writ is believed to he thequickest way to get the matter beforethe courts again. The court will hearthe matter in a few days.T CHARGEOF BRIBERYED. PERRY ACCUSED OF OFFER-ING $15,000 TO CAPITOL COM-MISSIONER GOULDING.COUNTY ATT'Y MAKES COMPLAINTJOSEPH CHAMBERLAINP. H. Weathers Also Accused; BondGiven of $2,000 Each.—WantedWeathers and Bell ForArchitects.Oklahoma City. — "Dynamite" Ed.Perry of Coalgate, for years prominentin republican politics, but morerecently identified with the progres-sives, and P. H. Weathers, an Okla-homa City contractor and designer,were arrested on warrants issued byCounty Attorney D. K. Pope on acharge of offering a bribe of $15,000 toP J. Gouiding of Enid, a member ofthe capitol building commission.The bribe was offered by Weathersand Perry, according to the allegationsin the information, for the purpose ofinfluencing Goulding's vote as a mem-ber of the commission in favor of theappointment of Weathers and one Bellof Minneapolis as architects for the IOklahoma state capitol building.The arrest of Perry and Weathers !came as a result of information fur-nished the county attorney by Gould- 'ing. According to a statement givenout by Gouldlng, he was approached jby Perry In the interest of fhe appoint-ment of Weathers an dBell as archi-tects for the capitol building, and wasoffered a bribe of $7,500 for his vote.The matter was reported to thecounty attorney and the attorney gen-eral. Perry was encouraged in thealleged bribe giving to the point wherea statement signed by Weathers andstipulating the amount of the bribewas turned over to Goulding by Perry.That statement is now in the hands Iof the attorney general and will hemade the basis of the prosecutionagainst the two men.The signed statement was given to |Goulding by Perry in the office of thecommissioners. A dictagraph was in- !stalled at the instance of the attorney |general and the conversation that tookplace between Goulding and Perry wastaken by two stenographers.Perry's name, it is Btated by Gould-ing does not appear on any of thedocumentary evidence in the posses-sion of the commissioners, which wassecured at the request of the countyattorney. Perry, according to the al-legations. act /I as the "middle man." !in behalf of the claim of Weathersand Bell for the architectural con-tract.Not the Only Attempt."This is not the first instance wherethe commission has heard that at-tempts at bribery or undue methodswould be pursued by certain individ-uals to secure patronage at the handsof the commissioners. We decided tonail the first person that attemptedanything of the sort, in order thatwe might make an example of himas a warning to all others who con-template such procedure," said Gould-ing, in explaining his connection withthe alleged bribe.E. G. McAdams of the firm of Mc- ;Adams & Haskell, counsel for Perry ,and Weathers, when asked for a state-ment of the matter, said:McAdams' Statement."At this time we do not care tomake any statement other than thatthere Is absolutely no foundation forthe prosecution. At the proper time wewill show the citizens of this state theobect and purpose of the prosecution,but in making this statement we donot intend to criticize the action ofthe county attorney, as we expect toshow that he has been misled in thismatter."BODK CONTRACTS'DEMAND FOR LEGALIZING 1912ADOPTIONS REFUSED BYSUPREME COURT.MAY APPEAL TO FEDERAL COURTSchool Book Situation Apparently FarFrom Being Relieved, As Pub-lishers Will ContinueIn the Fiflht.Joseph Chamberlain, the distinguish,ed British statesman, has announcedthat he will retire from parliamentand public life at the next elections,because of his fall'nn health.WORST IN QUARTER CENTURYWAS LAST WEEK'S STORM ON ,ATLANTIC COASTEleven Deaths In New York CityAlone.—Wire Service BadlyCrippled.Washington.—The storm whichgripped the entire east for twenty-four hours, paralyzing traffic, demol-ishing telegraph and telephone linesand causing tremendous losses toproperty and business generally hasbeen the most destructive in this sec-tion of the country since the memor-able Blizzard of 18S8.Reports showed the damage to bewidespread. From Cleveland on thewest and Baltimore on the south tothe Canadian and Nova Scotia borderthe storm has been general. In NewEngland further damage is expectedfrom rivers and streams swollen bymelting ice and snow.There have been eleven deaths InNew York City alone.Telegraph company officials saidthey could not estimate at this timecost of making repairs. The loss toone company alone w as placed at $200,-000 for this vicinity alone. Citing tholesson taught at the time Washingtonwas cut off from communication onthe day of the Taft inauguration, tel-ephone company officials declared thatat no time has telephone service tothe capital been cut off completely.After the experience in 1909 wires toWashington were placed underground.CARRANZA VETOES PROPOSITIONRefuses to Permit An Examination ofBody of Benton.Washington. — No examination ofthe body of William S. Benton< theBritish subject executed by GeneralVilla at Juarez will be made by thecommission composed of Americanand British government representa-tives, pending the outcome of an ex-change of notes between General Car-ranza. chief of the Mexican constitu-tionalists and the United States gov-ernment.General Carranza's declaration thatGreat Britain instend of the UnitedStates should deal with him concern-ing the death of a British subject,coupled with the broad intimationthat all communications on interna-tional affairs first should be addressedto him. instead of to General Villa orany other subordinate, injected a new-complication into the situation andthe expedition to Chihuahua, arrangedto start from El Paso was postponed.East Coast Storm Swept.New York.—A. destructive storm1swept the northeastern section of thecountry. From Pittsburgh and Buffaloon the west to the Atlantic seaboardand up through New England statesheavy gales carried rain, snow or sleet,the maximum precipitation beingbeing morg than fifteen inches. Ships?were blown ashore, communication bytelegraph and telephone was interrupted and trains were blocked onnearly all lines. In New York andvicinity there were five deaths fromthe storm. ]REPORT ON THE BUILDING FUKDState's Resources In One DepartmentIncreasing.Total assets of the state's publicbuilding fund on January 1 of thepresent year amounted to $4,685,547.38,according to a statement showing thecondition of the fund, which has justbeen issued by the state school landdepartment.Of this amount $3.588,187.37 is Innotes held by the department, andthis, together with the cash on hand,amounts to $4,084,229.38. The remain-der of the assets are in unsold lands.Until 1921 the present bonds andwarrants will bo retired at the rateof $75,000 a year, and after that timethey will be cancelled at the rate of$125,000 worth each year.Other information concerning thestatus of the fund, showing the hand-ling of the land and the proceeds, fol-lows:Original number of acres, 271,-636.57; number of acres sold. 225 -944.48; number of acres unsold. 45,-692.09; land sold was appraised at$3,477,136.67; improvements thereonappraised at $1,573,540.32; land soldfor $4,041,023.70; increase over ap-praisement, $563,887.03; amount of in-itial payment on land sold. $209,554.38;amount received on installments. $237,-809.40; balance due on land sold, $3,-588 187.37; total gross amount of rentcollected, $1,011,135.13; expense andmoney returned on account of excessremittance, $81,942.27; net receiptsfrom rents, $929,192.86; interest col-lected on deferred payments. $434,-810.96: amount past due. approxi-mately. $25,000; amount of interestthat will be due and payable duringthe next twelve months, approxi-mately. $160,000; amount of principalthat will be due and payable duringthe next twelve months, approxi-mately, $85 000.Income Tax Returns Made.Washington.—The last day has gonefor filing income tax returns but noofficial count of the number of indi-viduals who are to pay the tax, norestimate of what the nation will col-lect from them will be available forseveral days. At the time the tariffwas in debate in congress it was esti-mated that the income tax wouldbring about $50,000,000 and that about400,000 individuals would pay. Offlcials are hopeful that these figureswould be equalled or surpassed whenthe returns are all in.Oklahoma City.—School book menwhose books were favored in themuch discussed 1912 adoption lostanother round in their legal fight toestablish the legality of their comtracts when the state supreme court,in an opinion handed down by JudgeTurner, denied the application of W.H. Wheeler & Co., for a writ of man-damus to compel the present stateboard of education to approve thecontracts and bonds of the publishers.Several other publishing houses areaffected by the decision, their casesparalleling the Wheeler case.The application for the mandamuswas based on a former decision of thecourt, dealing with the school bookproblem and the action of LieutenantGovernor J. J. McAlester last August,when he signed and approved thebonds during the temporary absenceof Governor Cruce.In the former opinion the court heldthat the governor's approval of thebonds and contracts was a conditionprecedent to approval of the bonds, orcontracts, by the board of education.After McAlester signed the bonds,which had been on file in the officeof the secretary of state since Gov-ernor Cruce rejected them in 1912,the school book men renewed theirfight on the theory that the actionof McAlester had supplied the miss-ing link to make the contracts valid,and that it followed that the presentboard of education should approve thebonds and contracts. The presentboard refused to do this, and man-damus proceedings were instituted inthe Oklahoma county district court.Judge Carney granted the writ, direct-ing the board to act on the contracts^and it was on an appeal from thatruling that the case went the secondtime before the higher court.The court holds that when Gover-nor Cruce refused to sign the bondswhen they were presented to him inAugust, 1912, and when they were sub-sequently returned to the secretaryof state and the further action of thepresent board of education, appointedby the governor, in readvertising forbids, constituted a complete rescind-ing of the contracts or any obliga-tions that might have been assumedby reason of the 1912 adoptions, andthat the act of the lieutenant gover-nor in approving the bonds could nothave the effect of reviving the life ofthe contracts.Justices Kane and Loofbourrowconcur with Justice Turner, Chief Jus-tice Hayes concurs In the conclusion,and Justice Williams dissents.The fight of the school book men,however, is not ended, according tostatements from their attorneys asformal application will be made fora rehearing of the case before thehigher court. One of the grounds onwhich the application for rehearingwill be based is the allegation that thepoint on which Justice Turner decidedthe case was not brought out in theproceedings in the lower court.It also was stated by attorneys forthe hook men that means of gettingthe case into the federal court, andpossibly to the United States supremecourt, were being considered.WILSON SPEAKS ON CANAL TOLLSJoint Session of Congress to HearViews of the President.Washington.—President Wilson per-sonally addressed a joint session ofcongress, advocating repeal of theclause in the Panama canal act whichexempts American coastwise shipsfrom the payment of tolls.The president had prepared a briefaddress in which he set forth his opin-ion that congress should reverse itselfand keep the obligations of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty which he believeswere violated by the Panama act. Thepresident holds that national honor i3at stake and that European nationsshould not be allowed to believe thattreaties made by the American govern-ment are not adhered to both in letterand in spirit. The exemption clausehe points out, was passed on the as-sumption that while the Hay-Paun-cefote treaty guaranteed equal treat-ment to all nations in the matter oftolls, the matter was to be interpretedas meaning all nations except theUnited States.J.F.MC MURRAY LOSES OUT AGAINCommission Holds His $100,000 ClaimFor Fees Unauthorized.Washington.—Claims of J. F. Mc-Murray, an attorne y of McAlester,Okla., against the Choctaw and Chick-asaw tribes of Indians, approximating$100,000 for legal fees, were deniedby a commission headed bv IndianCommissioner Sells, which held thatthere was no warrant of law for theirpay men L The decision was unani-mous.